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Saving the Chattahoochee Documentary

The story of Sally Bethea, Shirley Franklin and the women who defended the river

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Saving the Chattahoochee Documentary

Saving the Chattahoochee Documentary

Saving the Chattahoochee Documentary

Saving the Chattahoochee Documentary

Saving the Chattahoochee Documentary

The story of Sally Bethea, Shirley Franklin and the women who defended the river

The story of Sally Bethea, Shirley Franklin and the women who defended the river

The story of Sally Bethea, Shirley Franklin and the women who defended the river

The story of Sally Bethea, Shirley Franklin and the women who defended the river

Hal Jacobs
Hal Jacobs
Hal Jacobs
Hal Jacobs
3 Campaigns |
Atlanta, United States
$4,580 USD 31 backers
18% of $25,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
Highlights
Mountain Filled 3 Projects Mountain Filled 3 Projects

Introducing “Saving the Chattahoochee: The Story of the Women Who Defended the River”

Our documentary tells the story of how a small group of dedicated Atlanta women worked over the course of 50 years to protect the Chattahoochee River and its watershed—the drinking water supply for more than five million people. 

One of the most prominent voices belonged to Sally Bethea. For two decades, she served as Chattahoochee Riverkeeper at a time when the waterway was singled out as one of the most polluted urban river in the U.S. 

Starting in 1994, the newly created Chattahoochee Riverkeeper organization took steps to revive and defend the river. Together with downstream communities, they sued the City of Atlanta under the federal Clean Water Act and won. Efforts to comply with legal agreements were moving slowly until 2002, when newly elected Mayor Shirley Franklin (the self-dubbed " sewer mayor") stepped up and pushed the city to  invest a whopping $4 billion to upgrade the sewer and drinking water systems.

The documentary (40 min.) takes a more personal look at the leadership styles of Bethea and Franklin. Bethea was one of the first women waterkeepers in the U.S. She stepped up to become the face of the river at a pivotal moment in Atlanta's history, while also being a single parent to two sons. Shirley Franklin rose from the ranks of city administrators to become the first Black female mayor of a major southern city and recognized nationally for her leadership.

Bethea acknowledges the tremendous work of the women who came before her. In the 1970s, Kay McKenzie of the Atlanta Junior League led the environmental group Friends of the River, which enlisted then-governor Jimmy Carter to their cause. As president, Carter signed the bill creating the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, which provides recreation for millions and protects the river corridor with thousands of acres of green space. 

Today's women environmental leaders can learn from Bethea's successes and struggles. As she writes in her 2023 memoir (Keeping the Chattahoochee, UGA Press), she learned to balance her role as a working mother while navigating the complex, male-dominated landscape of city-county-state politics and under-resourced environmental agencies.

Sally Bethea and Shirley Franklin's story is part of a bigger picture of Atlanta women who have led -- and continue to lead -- efforts to protect our rivers and streams. In the words of Franklin, "women are the keepers of the place."

The film provides a call to action for others to get involved in their communities following the example of these dedicated river advocates.

Saving the Chattahoochee is co-sponsored by Georgia Humanities and University of Georgia's Special Collections Library.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Dave Kirkpatrick (Producer, Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President)
Alicia Macbeth Jacobs (Executive Producer, Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence)
Joe Boris (Executive Producer, Northside Tavern: The Mostly True Account of the Golden Age of Atlanta’s Most Exquisite Blues Dive)

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Patricia Bell-Scott (Author, The Firebrand and the First Lady: Portrait of a Friendship: Pauli Murray, Eleanor Roosevelt, and the Struggle for Social Justice (Knopf, 2016)

 

Breaking It Down

Please join us in supporting the film as we celebrate the legacy of Sally Bethea, Shirley Franklin and the incredible women who continue to lead efforts to protect our rivers and streams. Together we can share a story that shows all is not lost when we work together to ensure a cleaner, healthier future for our environment.

Indie filmmaking is a time-consuming and costly business. After spending months on interviews and gathering visuals, archival research and writing, and editing, we then look for financial support from people who believe in the value of the project as much as we do.

NOTE: The total film budget is $75,000 and $45,000 has already been received via in-kind  donations. Most of the actual production work has been done pro bono.

CAMPAIGN UPDATE (1/4/2024): With $12,500 received outside of indiegogo, we have reached 68% of our campaign goal of $25,000.

 

When Is the Premiere?

Saving the Chattahoochee aims for an early 2024 screening at a premier Atlanta theater before it becomes available to film festivals and public screenings and local PBS affiliates. It will be available online in 2025.

 

Perks

Contributors receive an invite to the premiere before tickets are available to the general public. Our recent premieres, held at Atlanta's Plaza Theater, have sold out early because they reunite and celebrate the community featured in the documentaries. We'll notify you of future screenings as well.

Of course, your name will be included in the end credits for future generations to appreciate your contribution. You can also honor a friend or family member by a donation in their name.

If you would like to support the project at a more significant level, either as an associate or executive producer, please contact us for more details.

 

You Can Also Help by...

Sharing this crowdfunder with your friends or family members who might be interested.

 

FYI

Check out the book behind the documentary: Keeping the Chattahoochee: Reviving and Defending a Great Southern River, Sally Bethea, University of Georgia Press, 2023

In the last five years, we've made three full-length documentaries about Georgia women who have made a difference in their community: a writer/activist, an educator, a music lover. All three films have been shown at film festivals and shared pro-bono with Georgia public television. We're proud to give a voice to these individuals. And proud to add the environmentalists of "Saving the Chattahoochee" to the list.

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